Aseptic instrument-case.



H. PEDRETTI.

ASEPTIC INSTRUMENT CASE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.27. 1914.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

` UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

HENRY IPEIDRETII, OF EAST RUTHERFOBD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 BECTON, DICKINSON & C0., 0F RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY.

.ASEPTIC INSTRUMENT-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application led October 27, 1914. Serial No. 868,831.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY PEDEETH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Aseptic Instrument-Case, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. v

The invention relates to instrument cases containing alcohol or other liquid 1n which a clinical thermometer or other instrument is held immersed when not in use thus keeping the instrument in sterilized condition.

The object of the invention 1s to provide a new and improved aseptic instrument case, arranged to hold the liquid sealed whenever the instrument is withdrawn from the case, thus preventing loss of the liquid by leakage, evaporation or other causes, and to allow the liquid to surround the instrument on inserting the latter into the case, thus holding the instrument immersed in the liquid while the instrument is not in use.

In order to obtain. the desired result, u se is made of a plunger or follower, s'lidable 1n a tube containing a liquid, and a valve mounted on the said plunger', the valve and the plunger being controlled by the instrument to control the flow of the liquid through the plunger on moving the latter inward or outward in the tube on inserting or withdrawing the instrument. y A practical embodiment of the -invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specilication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts .in all the views.

Figure l is an enlarged side elevation of the instrument case arranged for containing a clinical thermometer; Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same with the thermometer partly withdrawn; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the plunger and valve in sealing position within the case; and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line -4-4 of Fig. 3.

A tube A of glass or other suitable material is preferably incased in a metallic casing B provided at its upper end with a cap C having a central, threaded aperture Cf in which is adapted to screw a head D carrying a clinical thermometer or other instrument E to be passed through the opening C into-the tube A. The tube A contains alcohol or other liquid in which the lower end of the instrument E is immersed whenever the said instrument is inserted into the tube A and held therein by screwing the head D iFri'to the threaded aperture C', as shown in Within the tube A is mounted to Slide, a plunger F provided with a suitable packing G to prevent leakage of the liquid between the peripheral face of the plunger F and the inner surface of the tube A. The under side of the plunger F is pressed on by the upper end 'of a spring H resting with its lower end on the bottom of the tube A, and the said spring H is so arranged that when the instrument E is withdrawn from the tube A then the spring moves the plunger F upward into the position shown in Fig. 2, that is, to a point about midway between the ends of the tube A. The plunger F is provided with a valve chamber F having a valve seat F2 leading to the top of the plun` ger, and this valve seat F2 is adapted to be closed by a valve I extending within the chamber F and having a stem I', the upper end I2 of which extends through the top of the plunger F to a distance above the said top at the time the valve is seated on the seat F2 (seeFig. 3). The lower end of the valve stem I is mounted to slide in an eX- tension F3 depending from the plunger F and provided with openings F4 for the passage of the liquid to or from the valve seat F2. A spring J rests with its lower end on the bottom of the extension F3, and the upper end of the said spring presses against the under side of the valve I so as to normally hold the said valve to its seat F2 thus preventing escape of the liquid from the v lower end of the tube A at the time the instrument E is withdrawn from the tube A.

When the instrument E is withdrawn from the tube A then the plunger F is in uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 2, with the valve I in closed position so that the liqsion of its springJ, and on further pre the instrument downward the lower en thereof engages the upper surface of the plun er F to move the latter downward within the tube A. When this takes place,

.the liquid iows through the apertures F* and the open valve seat F2 to the upper face of the descendin plunger F and at the same vtime the spring is compressed. The operator'inally screws the head D into the aperture C ofthe cap C so as to hold the instrument in place within the tube A at the same time closing the upper end of the tube A to prevent escape of the liquid from the upper end of the tube A. The instrument case with the instrument in position therein and with the lower end of the instrument immersedv in the liquid can now be safely carried in a pocket or other device without daner of the liquid leaking out of the case. hen it is desired to use the instrument E the operator simply unscrews the head D to allow the spring H to force the plunger F and with it the instrument E in 'an upward direction thus permitting an easy withdrawal of the instrument from the tube A. During this upward movement of the plunger F the valve I remains open so as to allow the liquid on top of the plunger F to flow down through the valve seat F2 and through the opening F to the lower face of the plunger F, thus draining all the liquid from the upper face of the plunger F to the lower face thereof. When the instrument is withdrawn the lower end thereof moves out of engagement with the upper end I2 of the valve stem I and consequently the valve I is returned to its seat by the spring J to prevent the liquid from flowing out of the lower end of the tube A during the time the instrument E is withdrawn from the case.

From the-foregoing it will be seen that by the arrangement described, the instrument is used to open the valve and to push the plunger downward when inserting the instrument in the case, and when the instrument is withdrawn from thecase the plunger returns to its normal uppermost position. to allow the liquid to flow through the open valve from the top of the plunger to the bottom thereof, after which the valve I moves to its seat on disengaging the lower end of the instrument from the upper end Iz of the valve stem I.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An aseptic instrument case, comprising a tube adapted to contain a liquid, a plunger slidable in the said tube, and a valve mounted on the said plunger, the valve and side of the plunger to the other side thereof,

the said valve being adapted to be opened by the instrument, and a spring presslng the said valve to move it into close withdrawing the instrument.

3. An asepticinstrument case, comprising a tube adapted to contain a liquid, a spring-pressed plunger mounted to slide in the said tube and provided with an interior valve seat for the passage of the liquid from one side of the plunger to the other side thm-eef, anC a spring-pressed valve mounted in the said plunger andnormally held to the said seat by its spring, the said valve' having a valve stem projecting beyond the outer face of the plunger for engagement by the instrument to move the valve off its seat.

4. An aseptic instrument case, comprising a tube adapted to contain a liquid'gand provided with a threaded cap, a head adapted to screw on the said cap and adapted to carryan instrument, a plunger slidable in position on the said tube and providedwith a valve seatA for the passage of theliquid from one side of the plunger to the other side thereof, the plunger having a depending ezgtension provided with openings for the passage of the liquid to and from the said valve seat, a

valve controlling the said valve seat and having a stem projecting through the valve seat into the path of the said instrument, a valvespring held in the said extensiony and pressing the said valve to its seat, and a plunger spring held in the said tube and resting with its lower end on the bottom of the tube, the upper end of the said'plunger spring pressing against the under side of the said plunger to move the latter outward in the tube on withdrawal of the instrument,

the plunger being located about midway between the-.ends of vthe tube at the time the plunger spring is released.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY PEDRETTI.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. Hos'rnn, M. ROBIN; 

